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Bánh Tôm (Prawn Fritter)

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Bánh Tôm (Prawn Fritter)
Yield 4
Author Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
30 Min
Cook time
1 Hour
Inactive time
15 Min
Total time
1 H & 45 M

Bánh Tôm (Prawn Fritter)

Bánh Tôm (or Vietnamese Prawn Fritters) is an iconic, street food with roots in Ha Noi. As popular as these delicacies are, they are extremely difficult to make. However, the secret is in the ability to thinly cut the sweet potatoes to create a ‘basket’ to nestle the shrimp, when fried. And when done right the shrimp is butter (not dry); with a delightfully crunchy sweet potato basket; wrapped with lettuce and herbs. Then dunked in a spicy, saline, savory but sweet nước chấm.

Ingredients

Prawn Fritter
Garnishes
Nước Chấm (Dipping Sauce)

Instructions

Prepare the Batter
  1. In a medium-sized mixing bowl, add 1 cup of water, and 2 large eggs.
  2. Whisk to incorporate the egg and the water.
  3. Sift the dry ingredeints
  4. Gradually add 1/3 of the dry ingredients to the liquid.
  5. Whisk until smooth.
  6. Then add the remaining 2/3 of the dry ingredients into the batter.
  7. Whisk until smooth
  8. Add the Sweet Potato (cut into match sticks) into the batter.
Prepare the Shrimp (Prawn)
  1. Defrost prawns (if frozen) in your refrigerator
  2. Rinse prawns in ice-cold water to maintain their freshness
  3. Devein prawns by inserting a toothpick (or skewer) between shell segments; on the back of the shrimp. Gently pull up on the toothpick and lift out the vein. If vein breaks, repeat in several places. **This recipe is traditionally made with whole prawns; head-on and shell-on.**
  4. Keep the cleaned prawn in the refrigerator. Or in a metal bowl, lined with iced water.
Fry the Prawn Fritter
  1. In a cast-iron pot (cast iron braiser) preheat 3 cups of cooking oil to 325 F.
  2. Use a [wide-mouth, flat, soup ladle] and a [large serving spoon] to help you assemble the Prawn Fritters.
  3. Put 2 tbsp. of battered sweet potato into a greased [wide-mouth, flat, soup ladle].
  4. Place a cleaned prawn on top of the battered sweet potato.
  5. Drizzle 1 tbsp. of batter on top of the prawn.
  6. Press the prawn down firmly into the battered sweet potato.
  7. Gently, dislodge the prawn (using a large serving spoon) and the battered sweet potato (it should resemble a basket) into the fryer.
  8. Fry for 5 minutes on each side.
  9. Remove the prawn fritter from the oil and place it on a roasting rack to cool.
  10. Gently season the prawn fritters with kosher salt.
Make the Nước Chấm (Dipping Sauce)
  1. https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/nuoccham
Assemble
  1. Garnish with lettuce and Vietnamese herbs
  2. Dip with Nuoc Cham

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https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/banhtom
TDP Enterprises, LLC
shrimp, potato, sweet potato, yam, ha noi, street food, finger food, fish sauce, nuoc mam, fried
dinner, lunch
Vietnamese
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @cheftudavidphu on instagram and hashtag it # cookingwithcheftu

Chả Giò Khoai Môn (Vietnamese Taro Fried Spring Roll)

in
Chả Giò Khoai Môn (Vietnamese Taro Fried Spring Roll)
Yield 4
Author Chef Tu David Phu
Prep time
45 Min
Cook time
45 Min
Inactive time
1 H & 30 M
Total time
3 Hour

Chả Giò Khoai Môn (Vietnamese Taro Fried Spring Roll)

I am sure you’ve noticed, that a lot of my recipes are reminiscent of Chinese-Cambodian cuisines. That’s because those recipes are reflective of those diasporas in my family. It adds complexity to my identity, which I’ve only learned to embrace most recently. In celebration of my beautiful (and complex) identity, I am offering you this Fried Taro Spring Roll recipe.

Ingredients

Taro Spring Roll Filling

Instructions

Make the Filling
  1. Add the Ground Pork to a large bowl.
  2. Then add Oyster sauce, Fish Sauce, Sesame oil, Sugar, Kosher, Black Pepper, Ginger, Garlic, Mung Bean Noodles, Carrot, and Taro
  3. Mix all the ingredients for 5-10 minutes, until the mixture is fully incorporated.
  4. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap, and hold it in the refrigerator when not in use.
Fold the Spring Rolls
  1. Setup your Spring Roll station with a small bowl of cold water.
  2. Lay the Spring Roll Wrapper flat with one corner pointing away from you, so it looks like a diamond shape.
  3. Scoop 2-3 tbsp. of filling and 30% in from the bottom corner of the wrapper.
  4. Fold 1” of the (left and right) sides of the Spring Roll.
  5. Roll the bottom Spring Roll wrapper upward while tucking.
  6. Stop when there is 2-3” of Spring Roll wrapper left to roll.
  7. Wet your index with water and run your wet finger along the flat edges of the Spring Roll wrapper.
  8. Finish rolling and tucking the Spring Roll.
  9. Press firmly to seal the Spring Roll.
  10. Set the Spring Roll aside on a baking sheet.
  11. Repeat.
Fry the Spring Rolls
  1. In a medium-sized pot, add 2-3 cups of oil.
  2. If the oil level surpasses the halfway mark of the pot, grab a bigger pot.
  3. Preheat your frying oil to 325 degrees F.
  4. Gently lay a Spring Roll into the pot of hot oil. Add them one at a time.
  5. Fry each Spring Roll for 5 minutes on each side. Or until golden brown on all sides
  6. Place the Spring Rolls on a baking tray lined with paper towels to absorb residual grease.
Assemble
  1. Garnish with lettuce and Vietnamese herbs
  2. Dip with Nuoc Cham

Notes

Egg Roll vs. Spring Roll 

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Chả Giò  - Is it called an “Egg Roll” or a “Spring Roll”?

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The two terms are often conflated. But their origins (and meaning) are very different. Spring Rolls originated from China. Traditionally, they were made during the Lunar New Year which is during the Chinese Spring season; hence the term “Spring Roll.” Furthermore, Spring Rolls are wrapped with a crisp, paper-thin wrapper. How does it differentiate from Egg Rolls? Egg Rolls are a result American-Chinese diaspora. [I.E., chop suey, sweet and sour pork, char siu, etc.] It’s a Spring Roll with the addition of egg into the (batter of dough) crisp, paper-thin wrapper. 

Recommended Products:

Fresh Taro
Menlo Spring Roll Wrappers

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https://cheftu.com/recipelibrary/tarospringroll
TDP Enterprises, LLC
spring roll, egg roll, summer roll, taro, fried, fish sauce, dumpling, bun, noodles, wrap
dinner, lunch, appetizers
Vietnamese
Did you make this recipe?
Tag @cheftudavidphu on instagram and hashtag it cookingwithcheftu